Sciatica is not a diagnosis on its own — it is a symptom. It means something is irritating or compressing the sciatic nerve, and the pain travels from your lower back or buttock down the back of the leg. At Coweta Chiropractic in Newnan, GA, the job is to find what is pressing on that nerve and take the pressure off it.
Dr. Valerie Román and Dr. Javier Amador treat sciatica patients throughout Coweta County. Hablamos Español.
What Sciatica Feels Like
- Sharp, burning, or electric pain running from the low back or buttock down one leg
- Pain that worsens when sitting, driving, coughing, or sneezing
- Numbness, tingling, or a pins-and-needles feeling in the leg or foot
- Weakness in the leg, or a foot that feels heavy or drags
- Pain usually on one side only
What Actually Causes It
The sciatic nerve is the largest nerve in the body, formed from nerve roots in the lower spine. Pain along its path usually traces back to one of these:
- Herniated or bulging disc pressing on a nerve root — the most common cause
- Degenerative disc disease, where lost disc height narrows the space the nerve passes through
- Spinal stenosis, a narrowing of the spinal canal
- Piriformis syndrome, where a tight buttock muscle compresses the nerve directly
- Injury from a car accident or a fall
Those causes call for different treatment, which is why guessing does not work. We examine first and use on-site digital X-rays where imaging is warranted.
How We Treat Sciatica
Most sciatica responds well to conservative care. Depending on the cause, your plan may include:
- Cox Flexion-Distraction decompression — particularly effective when a disc is involved, because the negative pressure it creates helps draw disc material away from the nerve
- Chiropractic adjustments to restore normal motion in the lumbar spine and pelvis
- Therapeutic modalities to calm inflammation and muscle guarding around the nerve
- Shockwave therapy for stubborn soft tissue involvement, including piriformis-related cases
Do Not Wait It Out
Some sciatica settles on its own. But nerve compression left alone can lead to lasting numbness or weakness, and pain that has been present for months is harder to resolve than pain caught early. Get examined if the pain has lasted more than a week or two, is getting worse, or is affecting your ability to walk or sleep.
Seek immediate medical care if you have loss of bladder or bowel control, or numbness in the groin or inner thighs — those are emergency signs, not chiropractic ones.
Sciatica Treatment in Newnan, GA
Coweta Chiropractic is at 1201 Lower Fayetteville Road, Suite E, Newnan, GA 30265. Hours are Monday through Thursday, 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM and 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM, and closed Fridays — call us if you need something outside those hours. We see patients from Newnan, Sharpsburg, Peachtree City, Senoia, Grantville, and Palmetto.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does sciatica take to improve?
Many patients notice a difference within a few visits, though disc-related cases usually take a series of sessions. We give you a realistic estimate after examining you.
Should I rest or stay active?
Extended bed rest generally makes sciatica worse. Gentle movement is usually better, and we will tell you what to do and what to avoid for your specific case.
Can a chiropractor help if I have a herniated disc?
Often, yes. Decompression is specifically designed for disc-related nerve compression. If imaging shows something outside our scope, we will refer you.
Stop guessing what is pressing on that nerve
Book your new patient appointment at Coweta Chiropractic in Newnan, GA. We examine first, find the cause, and tell you honestly what will help.
